Bella Ramsey, Nicola Coughlan, Harris Dickinson and Many Others Call For Industry Support on Trans Rights

Hollywood celebrities are uniting in support of trans rights following the UK Supreme Court’s recent ruling. The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey, who identifies as non-binary, is among the many stars who have signed an open letter calling for industry action on trans rights.

Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan, The Outrun’s Paapa Essiedu, Babygirl’s Harris Dickinson, and How to Have Sex filmmaker Molly Manning Walker have also signed the petition, alongside 400 other industry professionals.

On April 17, the court ruled that trans women would not be legally recognized as women in the country. The ruling has sparked outrage, prompting celebrities, activists, and others to speak out against it.

The letter was initiated by development producer Sid Strickland of Motive Pictures and script editor Jack Casey. It expresses solidarity with minority communities—such as trans, non-binary, and queer individuals—impacted by the ruling.

The letter emphasizes how the decision could negatively affect the lives of trans people in all aspects of the industry, from sets to cinemas. It could also lead to the exclusion of the community from many single-sex facilities.

It urges cultural institutions such as Bectu, BAFTA, BFI, Directors UK, Picturehouse, BBC, the Writers' Guild, and Channel 4 to show support for trans people. The letter also calls for increased protection for the community within the industry and these organizations.

“We, the undersigned film and television professionals, stand in solidarity with the trans, non-binary, and intersex communities who have been impacted by the Supreme Court ruling on April 17,” the letter states, according to Deadline.

The signatories hope to add their voices to the 2,000+ people who have already signed the letter and are calling on other industry peers and cultural organizations to join them.

The letter also explains that defining women solely by their biological sex “undermines their lived reality” and threatens the lives of those who identify as women, regardless of their assigned gender.